Giuseppe Nessi

An Italian tenor who became Italy's leading comprimario of his time. He studied in Bergamo and made his debut at Saluzzo in 1910 as Alfredo, then on Tullio Serafin's advice turned to character roles. From 1921 to 1959 he sang at La Scala, where he created Gobrias in Boito's Nerone, Pong in Turandot and Dona Pasqua in Wolf-Ferrari's Il campiello. He was a celebrated Bardolph, which he sang at Salzburg under Toscanini, and London's first Pong. Known for his comic acting and his skill with stage make-up, he last appeared at La Scala in 1959 as Pinellino in Gianni Schicchi.